How to Cross-Stitch on Crocheted Afghan Stitch

The crochet Afghan stitch, especially basic Afghan stitch, is an ideal base for adding cross-stitch. Cross-stitch a delicate or elaborate color pattern on Afghan stitch instead of working color changes within the crochet — and you don’t have to deal with changing colors in the middle of the row while crocheting.

1

To cross stitch, thread a length of the designated color yarn onto a yarn needle.

Use a length of yarn that’s comfortable to work with. An 18-inch length is about average.

2

Insert the needle from back to front at the bottom-left corner of the designated stitch and draw the needle up.

Leave a 4-inch length of yarn on the back (which you’ll later weave in).

3

Insert the needle at the top-right corner of the same stitch, angled vertically down.

Bring the needle out at the bottom-left corner of the same stitch and draw the yarn through.

Repeat the two preceding steps across the row, completing each cross-stitch.

When you finish working cross-stitches with a particular color, weave the ends through the Afghan stitch background for several inches to hide the strands, and then clip off the excess yarn.

Always work cross-stitches with the thread crossing on top in the same direction. And don’t tie knots in the yarn at the beginning or the end of your work. Simply weave in the ends to secure them and then clip off the excess.

Standard cross-stitch technique produces a rather sloppy back on your item. To avoid the yarn showing on the back, be careful to slide your needle under the two horizontal strands of the Afghan stitch near the surface of your work. Check the back of your work frequently to make sure nothing is showing.

If you make your cross-stitches too tight, you can ruin your design. The cross-stitches should lay over the Afghan stitch without causing the background to pucker.